Update: The Puma was scratched from the Kentucky Derby field on the morning of race.
The Puma is one of 20 horses expected to enter the 2026 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Spots for the Run for the Roses are earned by gaining points through a series of Kentucky Derby prep races that began last September.
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The post-position draw for the Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, April 25. Post time for the Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. on Saturday, May 2.
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The Puma will enter the Kentucky Derby off a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28 at Gulfstream Park. He currently ranks sixth on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard with 106.
Trainer: Gustavo Delgado. He is 1 for 3 in the Derby, winning with Mage (2023).
Jockey: Javier Castellano. He is 1 for 17 in the Derby, winning with Mage (2023).
Record: 1-2-1 in four starts.
Career earnings: $442,280.
Road to the Kentucky Derby points: 106 (No. 6).
Last race: Second in Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28 at Gulfstream Park, a nose behind Commandment.
Running style: Stalker.
Notes: The Puma didn’t race as a 2-year-old and broke his maiden in his third start, winning the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 7. He nearly made it two straight wins but was nosed out by Commandment in the Florida Derby. … The Delgados, Restrepo and Castellano are reunited in the Kentucky Derby after winning with Mage in 2023. Mage also entered the Kentucky Derby after a runner-up finish in the Florida Derby. … Essential Quality, The Puma’s sire, was third in the 2021 Kentucky Derby and went on to win the Belmont.
What they’re saying: “When we got a few breezes into him, he definitely started showing he had a great disposition,” assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. said. “That’s why we took our time. That’s why we didn’t race him as a 2-year-old. We wanted to put a good foundation into him. That’s what we do when we have a horse we think can campaign in these kind of races.”
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.
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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: The Puma horse trainer, jockey, owner for Kentucky
